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Okay, so I have a 6 gallon tank with around 30 swordtail fry in it. They range in size from a 1/2 an inch to almost an inch. They are almost 6 weeks old and seem to be doing pretty well.

The problem I have is that I have noticed some algae growth in that tank and am wondering if I put a pleco from my main tank in there for a little while, will it eat my fry? I know it sounds silly...but I care for the little buggers...

I am also concerned because the tank is small as it is and I don't want to over crowd it even more than it already is... but do want to keep the tank looking and feeling fresh and healthy!

Thoughts?

Last edited by manborg at 11-May-2005 12:31

I think the bio load that a pleco would create in a very short time would be my bigger concern. I know you're attached to the platies, but don't you think it would be a bit better to thin them out. Maybe trade some of them to the lfs for some credit, or even for a smaller algae eater. That way you could accomplish what you're wanting to do and at the same time make a better enviornment for the remaining fish.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Don't add anymore fish. Just buy some cheap, fast growing plants like Anacharis or Hornwort to outcompete the algae in the tank. These plants will also eat up a lot of nitrates, which is good considering how many fish you have in there.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I fully agree on the plants as the answer in this case. Hornwort makes for a great surface plant if there isn't too much filtration. Depending on the types of algae work on removing most of it by hand. Even MTS wont' really work in this case due to the high bioload.

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The filtration on the tank is pretty good. I have a biofilter running and I have some plants in there to fight the nitrates, although the nitrate level is pretty much nonexistant at this point and my ph stays steady at 7.5.

As far as trading them in, I plan to trade them all in, but don't want to do it until they are big enough to be sold, rather than fed to the other fish... I am a sucker... I know...

Would getting a cory or two be a good idea, or would I still have the waste problem? ( I've noticed that everyone loves the cory on here.)

Corys will not touch algae as they are primarily carnivorous, so they wouldn't do much for the tank.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Get a floating Plant & it will absorb alot of the nitrates & will reduce your Algae growth


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I would have thought that the Swordtails would themselves eat the algae, albeit with slightly less gusto than Mollies, for example. Many Poeciliid livebearers require algae or other vegetable matter in the diet for optimum health.

A better bet would be to get hold of some Limias and let them breed. Put the fry in the tank, and they'd soon demolish the algae, because they're almost as efficient at the task as Bristlenose Plecs. And if you get Humpback Limias, they're beautiful.

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